Pelargonium plant named &#39;pacpeia&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct interspecific Geranium plant named ‘Pacpeia’, characterized by its upright and uniformly rounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely basal branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; early and freely flowering habit; and large dark red-colored semi-double flowers that are held above the foliar plane on strong peduncles.

Botanical designation: Pelargonium x hortorum X Pelargonium peltatum.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PACPEIA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of interspecific Geranium plant, botanically known as Pelargonium x hortorum X Pelargonium peltatum, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Pacpeia’.

The new interspecific Geranium plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to develop new uniform interspecific Geranium plants with attractive flower colors.

The new interspecific Geranium plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Dresden, Germany during the summer of 2013 of an unnamed proprietary selection of Pelargonium x hortorum , not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unnamed proprietary selection of Pelargonium peltatum, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new interspecific Geranium plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany during the spring of 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new interspecific Geranium plant by vegetative terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Dresden, Germany since January, 2015 has shown that the unique features of this new interspecific Geranium plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new interspecific Geranium have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Pacpeia’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pacpeia’ as a new and distinct interspecific Geranium plant:

-   -   1. Upright and uniformly rounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely basal branching habit.     -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   5. Early and freely flowering habit.     -   6. Large dark red-colored semi-double flowers that are held         above the foliar plane on strong peduncles.

Plants of the new interspecific Geranium differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in plant habit as plants of the new interspecific Geranium are more uniform than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new interspecific Geranium can be compared to plants of the Pelargonium x hortorum X Pelargonium peltatum ‘Pactiored’, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 14/999,454. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new interspecific Geranium differ from plants of ‘Pactiored’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new interspecific Geranium are not as outwardly         spreading as plants of ‘Pactiored’.     -   2. Plants of the new interspecific Geranium are not as vigorous         as plants of ‘Pactiored’.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new interspecific Geranium do not         have a discernible zonation pattern whereas leaves of plants of         ‘Pactiored’ have a zonation pattern.     -   4. Plants of the new interspecific Geranium have larger flower         umbels and flowers than plants of ‘Pactiored’.     -   5. Plants of the new interspecific Geranium have semi-double         type flowers whereas plants of ‘Pactiored’ have single-type         flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new interspecific Geranium plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new interspecific Geranium plant.

The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pacpeia’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 19-cm containers during the winter, spring and summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Dresden, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial interspecific Geranium production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 18° C., night temperatures averaged 16° C. and light levels ranged from 15 kilolux to 100 kilolux. Plants were three months old when the photograph was taken and nine months old when the detailed description was taken. In the detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Pelargonium x hortorum ‘Pacpeia’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Pelargonium x hortorum , not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Pelargonium peltatum, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 22 days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 18° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizers, substrate             temperature and age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright and uniformly rounded plant             habit; inverted triangle; densely foliated; moderately             vigorous growth habit; moderate growth rate; freely basal             branching habit with about 28 lateral branches developing             per plant; pinching is not required.         -   Plant height, to top of umbels.—About 30 cm.         -   Plant height, to top of foliar plane.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 45 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Texture: Pubescent. Color:             Close to 146B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite and alternate; simple.         -   Length.—About 5 cm.         -   Width.—About 8.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Rounded; roughly reniform.         -   Apex.—Rounded.         -   Base.—Cordate, open.         -   Margin.—Bi-crenate.         -   Venation pattern.—Palmate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Sparsely pubescent;             velvety.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137A; venation, close to 137A. Developing and fully             expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B; venation,             close to 146B. Zonation pattern: Not discernible.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent; rough. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 147B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and flowering habit.—Large semi-double             flowers arranged in roughly hemispherical umbels arising             from apical leaf axils; umbels displayed above the foliar             plane on strong peduncles; flowers face upright to             outwardly; freely flowering habit with about 23 flower buds             and flowers per umbel and about 42 umbels developing per             plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering season.—Early flowering habit; plants begin             flowering about 70 days after planting; in the garden in             Germany, flowering begins in April and continues until frost             in the autumn.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about six to ten days on the             plant; umbels last about three to four weeks on the plant;             flowers persistent.         -   Umbel height.—About 5 cm.         -   Umbel diameter.—About 11 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 5 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Shape: Round. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Petals and petaloids.—Quantity per flower: About ten;             imbricate. Length: About 2.7 cm. Width: About 1.9 cm. Shape:             Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             velvety. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper             surface: Darker than 45A; venation, close to 187A; color             does not change with development. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 46B; venation, close to 46B;             color does not change with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five arranged in a single             whorl. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces:             Distally, close to 144A; proximally, close to 183A.         -   Peduncles (umbel stems).—Length: About 11.5 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Strength: Strong. Angle: Mostly upright.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Pedicels (individual flower stems).—Length: About 2.5 cm.             Diameter: About 1 mm. Strength: Moderately strong; flexible.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 183A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity per flower:             About twelve. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther shape:             Tubular. Anther color: Close to 187A. Pollen amount:             Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 167A. Gynoecium: Pistil             quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 8 mm. Stigma             shape: Five-parted. Stigma color: Close to 60A. Style             length: About 2 mm. Style color: Close to 58A. Ovary color:             Close to 139D. Seeds and fruits: Seed and fruit development             have not been observed on plants of the new interspecific             Geranium. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new interspecific Geranium     have not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common     to interspecific Geraniums. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new interspecific Geranium have     been observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 1° C. to     about 35° C. to 40° C. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct interspecific Geranium plant named ‘Pacpeia’ as illustrated and described. 